


Say We're Only Dreaming

by LadyKnightOfHollyrose



Category: Free!
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Aladdin, Alternate Universe - Ending Credits Setting, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-11-18
Updated: 2013-11-18
Packaged: 2018-01-02 00:05:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,758
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1050186
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyKnightOfHollyrose/pseuds/LadyKnightOfHollyrose
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Rin had snuck his way out of the palace for the first time in years, this certainly hadn’t been his intention.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Say We're Only Dreaming

**Author's Note:**

> It’s been a while since I’ve written for an anime fandom that uses honorifics; in this case I’ve left them in despite it being an AU because it felt more natural to keep them then to take them out. Unbetad.

When Rin had snuck his way out of the palace for the first time in years, _this_ certainly hadn’t been his intention.

Matsuoka Rin, crown prince and heir to the throne, had never been known to hold his tongue when he felt an injustice was being dealt. It was a quality that had endeared him to his people before, but it had also caused him trouble on many occasions. With his eighteenth birthday fast approaching and the looming prospect of a (his) political marriage being the talk of court, Rin had found his patience to be wearing thin.

He had finally lost his temper entirely that afternoon when the Prince Consort had presented to him a binder of potential brides for his perusal.

After an explosive argument that could probably have been heard from the dungeons deep below the city (and had left his mother the Queen with a splitting headache) Rin had promptly stormed to his chambers, slamming the doors hard behind him. He had shrugged on the plainest clothing in his possession and slipped into the city from one of the concealed exits he’d discovered as a boy.

His journey through the Upper District was uneventful; his cloak pulled tight around his shoulders with its hood drawn over his head, disguising him as a fairly wealthy merchant in place of royalty. Ducking and weaving between the patrons of the shopping quarter as they dipped in and out of boutiques and emporiums with ease, Rin made for the heavy set of gates that he had always been herded away from when accompanied to the city.

The gates to the city’s Lower District were tantalisingly close. Merging with a passing group of traders as they were let over the gate’s threshold was not even a conscious decision.

There was a subtle shift in the atmosphere as soon as Rin took his first step into the Lower District. The air felt heavier, the mingled smells of sand, dirt and unwashed human assaulting his nose as he took in the hustle and bustle below him. Stalls and shacks were crammed together, every inch of the ground occupied by a person, animal or crate. Rin trailed after the traders, just about managing to keep his jaw from hanging as his wide eyes gazed from side to side.

It took an embarrassingly short amount of time for him to lose his way.

Unable to suppress his curiosity, Rin had stopped briefly at a stall to inspect the various trinkets on offer, thinking to take a memento of his ‘adventure’ back for his sister. Glancing up at the oily looking vendor had caused him to reconsider the idea promptly, but by then the group that he had been following had moved on, swallowed completely by the ocean of people flooding the streets.

Unwilling to admit defeat so soon after gaining a little freedom to see the _real_ world, Rin marched resolutely away from the tall walls that would take him home. Instead, he wandered the streets, making sure to keep away from any dark alleyways. He may be a somewhat sheltered prince, but he wasn’t _stupid_ by any means.

A few impulsive turns as he ambled along led him down another street of shops and stalls, the wares seemingly a little more expensive than those lining the main streets (though still nowhere near the prices charged in the Upper District). Here there was a steady trickle of customers, a breath of fresh air from the tightly packed main market. There was enough footfall for Rin to make his way through without worrying for his wellbeing.

Through the window on his left he could see shelves upon shelves of pots and urns, each containing leaves and powders in every colour imaginable. The man minding the shop was chatting amicably with the customer leaning against the ledge as he added ingredients to the mortar on the counter before him, soon deftly using a pestle to grind its contents to a thick paste. Rin lingered a moment, taking in the heady fragrance of spices before another stall caught his interest.

Rows of carefully crafted jewellery lined the table; strings of small pearls and chains of seashells worn smooth by rough waters and coarse sand winked up at him. One bracelet of particularly colourful shells caught his eye. He reached toward it, only for his hand to collide with a smaller hand which was swift to retract itself.

Wide green eyes peered warily up at him, set in a young, soft face and framed by thick brown locks. The little girl held her hands behind her back, eyebrows drawn down as though awaiting a sentence despite her innocence.

The mulish set of her jaw made him think of Gou and smile.

Letting his fingers brush lightly against the delicate bracelet he’d been eyeing, Rin addressed the girl. “I was just thinking about getting this bracelet for my younger sister,” he said, speaking as though he were sharing a secret with a trusted friend. “She’s a little older than you, but what do you think? Think she’ll like it?”

It was a slight exaggeration; Gou was only a year younger than he was, while this girl looked to be only just into the double digits of her life. Still, the girl was peering up at him, her distrust a shade lighter than it had been a moment ago. She pursed her lips, leaning forward to inspect the bracelet by eye. When she turned her gaze back to Rin, there was an air of gravity about her. “It’s really pretty – I’m sure she’ll love it.” Then her face split into a sunny smile. “You’re a good big brother.”

Rin grinned back, glad to have passed muster. He listened seriously as she told him about her favourite stalls and the place three blocks away that made the best bread she’d ever tasted. She eventually pointed out the pair of earrings that she had been attempting to get a closer look at when they had met, just beyond her arm’s reach.

It was when Rin passed them to her that they finally attracted the vendor’s attention, who had until that moment been in deep discussion with his neighbour. He was a stout, middle-aged fellow with a sour twist to his mouth, and he had a hard eyed glare aimed at the two of them.

“Little snot! Get your filthy paws off my merchandise; you’re devaluing it by the second.”

Rin bristled. “Is this how you treat all of your customers?”

The man scoffed. “Not like a brat has the kind of money needed for anything _I_ sell.”

“You-” Rin was cut short as he felt a small hand tug insistently at his cloak.

“It’s okay, really, I’ll just put it back. I just wanted to look at them.”

Rin’s lips pulled down into a frown but he stayed silent as she lay the earrings back down on the table; they were snatched back off by the vendor as he inspected them closely.

His gaze sharpened suddenly. Then, he growled.

“ _Chipped_! You’ve chipped them, and now I have faulty goods I can’t sell; I demand compensation!”

The girl’s eyes grew wide. “What? I didn’t-!”

This time it Rin cut _her_ off as he rounded on the vendor, furious on her behalf. “You see here, they were like that before she touched it-”

“Are you saying I sell faulty goods? I should have _you_ pay up since _you’re_ the one who gave it to the brat in the first place.”

Rin glared at the man through narrowed eyes. Still, he’d drawn more attention to himself than was wise already – other shoppers glanced over at them and he could see a little boy outright staring at them from the corner of his eye. The boy gaped for another moment before turning on his heel and racing away. As he disappeared from Rin’s line of sight, he squared his shoulders and grit his teeth. “Fine. _I’ll_ pay for them, but it’s the only custom you’ll ever be getting from me. You see if I don’t spread word of your shoddy wares.”

The man sneered at him. Rin ignored it as he reached into his sash for the pouch he kept a few coins in (along with the ring bearing the royal seal that he had taken off to be discreet) for unavoidable incidents such as this.

He froze as his hand came back empty.

_Fuck_.

He must have left the pouch on his bed, entirely forgotten in his haste to be out of the palace; and a great deal of good it did him there.

He could feel the blood draining from his face at the realisation; could see the way the agitated vendor noticed too. He had a particularly malicious glint to his eye as he withdrew two throwing knives from his sash and Rin couldn’t help but feel the man had been itching for the opportunity to use it before he had even had the misfortune of stumbling upon his stall.

“You break it you buy it; and if you can’t pay up you’re as good as a thief.” The man drew himself to his full height and sidled closer as he spoke; Rin tugged the girl behind him. The man lowered his voice and leaned over the table, pulling his arm back. “And if you’re a thief, well, no one’s going to care what _I_ do to you.”

The knife had been aimed at his heart; Rin snatched it from the air, the blade leaving a shallow cut on his palm as he grasped it.  He flipped the knife into the air, catching it by the handle. His grip was firm, despite the blood sliding down his palm, and Rin couldn’t help a twinge of satisfaction at the way the vendor paled at his obvious experience handling weapons; as a prince, he’d spent gruelling hours learning to fight and defend himself.

His internal debate on whether to deal with the whole debacle quickly or give the brute a _real_ scare was interrupted by a shout from the direction that Rin had come from.

The little girl must have recognised the voice; she straightened immediately, her head snapping back. “ _Onii-chan!_ ”

Turban now slightly askew from presumably racing over, the man he had spotted behind the counter of the spice store he had passed by, strode forward. His expressive green eyes were wide with worry as he stepped close enough to place a solid hand on the girl’s shoulder. He knelt down and carefully checked her for any injuries before turning his attention to the stall’s owner.

“If my sister has caused you any trouble or offence, please accept my sincerest apology.”

The man’s lips thinned. “Apologies don’t pay my debts, _boy_.”

Rin’s brows rose incredulously at the way that such humility was so readily discarded, but the girl’s brother was already speaking again.

“Then may I offer you c-”

“Thief! _Thief!_ ”

In the moment that the vendor was distracted, a swirl of blue and gold cloth had swooped behind him and managed to swipe a good fifth of his wares. The shout had come from the old woman minding the store next door, and she gaped as the thief darted away, disappearing into the crowd at the path’s intersection.

The vendor roared in frustration and raced off after him with a barked order for his neighbour to keep an eye on his own stall. The woman had nodded placidly, but Rin could have _sworn_ he’d seen her slip something suspiciously into her pocket…

“Oh Ran, I’m so glad you’re all right…” Rin dragged his attention back to the spice merchant, who had bent down to scoop his sister up in his arms; Ran clung to him and looked like she was barely resisting the urge to bury her face into his neck. Her brother ran a soothing hand up and down her spine as he continued. “Thank God Ren came to get me when he did.”

As though on cue, the boy Rin had seen turn tail and run when the situation had begun to sour reappeared to clutch at the merchant’s leg.

“You should probably go while he’s away chasing your friend, you know.” The old woman who had first brought the thief to attention was smiling kindly at the small family, her hands clasped loosely in front of her now. She caught Rin’s suspicious gaze and winked at him before she continued. “I’ll make sure he conducts his business elsewhere from now on. Though I don’t imagine it will do him any good. Why don’t you run along and get something for the young hero’s wound?”

Three pairs of doe eyes locked onto the blood trickling from Rin’s palm; Rin had never stood a chance.

In a matter of moments Rin found himself being bustled down the street and into the back room of the spice shop. He was ushered towards a chair as the merchant and his siblings fussing over the shallow cut. The two children – who he could identify as twins, now that they were stood beside each other – pulled out a clean cloth from somewhere to stem the already dwindling flow from his palm. The merchant himself emerged from the front of the shop with a box in hand; he set it down and sent the twins a reassuring smile.

“Don’t worry; we’ll get him patched up. Will you mind the store front for me? Haru should be back soon, but you can call me if you need anything.”

The children scurried off to do as they were bid as the merchant drew a chair closer for himself to sit on. The he reached across the space between them to take a gentle hold of Rin’s injured hand.

“It really isn’t that bad,” he found himself saying, although he had already gathered that resistance was probably futile. “It will seal itself fairly quickly.”

The cloth he had pressed to the wound at the twins’ insistence was lifted away as the merchant inspected the damage for himself. Careful fingers checked his hand over for any other cuts before reaching for the box that now sat on the table between them.

“Be that as it may,” the merchant said patiently as he retrieved a jar of ointment and roll of bandages, “I can’t in good conscience allow it to fester.” He uncapped the jar and reached for Rin’s hand again. “This might sting a little.”

Rin almost rolled his eyes at the warning – he’d injured himself enough times growing up as an energetic boy in the palace to have collected more than a few scabs over the years – but couldn’t quite stop a sharp intake of breath as the cool balm made contact with the gash.

Rin was thankful that the merchant chose not to comment on this, instead going about his task with a practiced ease that inspired confidence rather than caused worry of careless complacence. His voice was soft and soothing; more than enough to take Rin’s mind off the way his hand smarted as the bandage was wrapped around it and tied off.

“Thank you so much for defending Ran the way you did. Most would have made themselves scarce and made sure not to get involved when they saw her in trouble.”

The words had Rin’s cheeks flushing; he had to look away from the intensity of the earnest green eyes that were staring at him. Instead he looked down to the way the merchant was holding his bound hand in two of his own.

Doing so only caused the tips of his ears to heat as well.

Rin cleared his throat. “I didn’t do anything, really. Might have made him angrier, actually.” He glanced up to see that direct gaze still trained on him. ”It really _was_ a good thing your brother called you over.”

 “I saw the way you were protecting her. If Ren _hadn’t_ called me, she would have been safe with you.” The merchant’s lips tilted up into a smile. “How can I thank you?”

He didn’t really feel like he’d done anything to warrant such gratitude; it was what would have done had Gou been in the same situation, was what any decent human being would have done. “Really, you have nothing to thank me for.” Rin shrugged his shoulders uncomfortably. Then he thought of something. “Actually, there is one thing.”

“Yes?”

“Your name.”

“Ah?” The merchant blinked at him, mystified.

“Give me your name and I’ll consider you squared up.”

The was a moment of silence as the merchant processed this. Then he began to chuckle. “Oh dear, I _have_ been rude. My name is Makoto. And this most certainly _does not_ count.”

Rin felt his own lips curl up into an impish grin at the way Makoto’s eyes sparkled with mirth. “I’m Rin. And that’s all I’m going to accept.”

“Well that won’t do; you have to let me treat any wounds you get at the very least.” He was still smiling, but his tone changed slightly to mimic that of the more enthusiastic salesmen in the main market. “Our salves are made in house from the freshest herbs in the district!”

Rin snorted in amusement; it didn’t suit Makoto at all. “I don’t know if I’ll be around long enough to take you up on that but thanks, I guess.”

“Ah, that’s right,” Makoto mused, “you aren’t from around here, are you?”

“What makes you say that?” Rin didn’t _think_ he’d been identified already. True, he had used his own name when introducing himself, but after the year he had been born ‘Rin’ had been a popular name and most in the Lower District had no idea what the royal family _actually_ looked like.

“I don’t know, the way you hold yourself makes me think of some of my customers from the Upper District.”

Rin hummed noncommittally; he didn’t want to lie to someone as genuine as Makoto seemed to be. It was much easier to let him assume he was right. It would certainly explain away anything that might otherwise raise suspicions about how displaced he _really_ was.

“Have you got anywhere to stay?”

Rin blinked. He hadn’t actually thought much about what he was going to do for the night but without any money or his ring to identify himself it could be difficult to sneak back into the Upper District without attracting any untoward attention.

Besides, he still very much wanted to see just who he’d be protecting by sacrificing his happiness for a loveless political marriage.

“I… no, I haven’t actually.”

“Well why don’t yo-”

“He’s not a stray _cat_ Makoto.”

Rin started and glanced over his shoulder to see the owner of the new voice; slender and lithe, another man around his – their – age lounged in the door connecting the room to the front of the shop. His arms were crossed over his chest, his eyes level and almost apathetic. Still, there was a slight furrow to his brow as he looked Rin over that made the prince bristle instinctively.

“ _Haru!_ ” Makoto let go of Rin’s hand and the sudden loss of warmth left Rin feeling oddly bereft. “You’re not hurt, are you?”

Haru turned his gaze to Makoto, his forehead relaxing. “I’m fine.”

Makoto ignored this, just as he had ignored Rin, checking his friend over anyway. “Really, there was no need to cause such a commotion-”

Haru’s eyes narrowed to glittering blue slits. “You were about to offer to _pay him_ Makoto.”

“Well, yes, but-”

“Hang on a minute, _you_ were the thief?!” It had taken a few moments of observation through the argument, but Rin had recognised the scarf now tied around Haru’s neck as the blue and gold fabric that had obscured Haru’s face from view. This also explained one more thing that had been bothering him. “And that old woman knew it was you all along?”

Makoto shifted from one foot to the other sheepishly. “Tamura-san’s a neighbour and family friend; she’s known me and Haru since we were boys.”

Haru glared at Rin some more before turning back to Makoto. “I told Ren and Ran to close for the afternoon. You should have some lunch too.” His eyes flickered once more between Rin and Makoto.

There was some kind of silent conversation taking place; one that Rin wasn’t privy to. Still, the redhead could infer that Haru clearly thought that he was more trouble than he was worth.

If he hadn’t been so annoyed by Haru’s attitude Rin might have agreed with him.

Haru must have seen something in Makoto’s face, as he sighed in resignation and wrinkled his nose. “I’m going down to the oasis.”

Makoto shook his head in fond amusement as his friend left. “Don’t worry about Haru, he’ll come around. And please, stay with us as long as you need to. It’s the least we could do.”

With no funds and no intention of returning home on any terms but his own, it was an easy decision to make.

“Only if you’re absolutely certain it won’t cause you trouble.”

Makoto positively _beamed_ at him.

“Then it’s settled.” He opened his mouth as though to say more, before pausing and tilting his head to a side. When he spoke again, his voice was loud enough to carry through to the shop front. “Why don’t you come and introduce yourselves properly instead of eavesdropping?”

Two heads peered into the room from the doorway. Ran was the first to emerge properly, picking her way across the room under Makoto’s knowing eye until she was close enough to see Rin’s bandaged hand properly. Shuffling as she glanced up at Rin, she said, “are you really staying?”

Rin nodded.

Ran launched herself at Rin, arms going around his stomach as she muttered a muffled ‘thank you for earlier’ into his cloak. Ren wasn’t far behind. The sight of the two children now attached to his waist and their brother with a smile bright enough to light up the whole room was enough to have Rin sporting a grin of his own.

So while he certainly hadn’t intended to crash head first into confrontation and befriending a small family when sneaking out of the palace that morning, he couldn’t bring himself to regret it. None of the extravagant banquets at the palace compared to the content he felt as he shared a humble lunch with the earnest merchant and his siblings in the back of their small spice shop.

**Author's Note:**

> My first Free! fic and it seems like it’s going to end up being a multipart one ^^’ As you may have guessed, it’s set in the ED! AU but was also, to begin with, a kind of Aladdin!AU. It kind of turned into a bit of a monster though. 
> 
> (Also, for anyone curious, I loosely based the layout of the city on Imardin from the Black Magician Trilogy)


End file.
